


The Sea is on Fire

by cassimere



Series: The Sea is on Fire [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Descendants (Disney Movies) RPF, Disney - All Media Types
Genre: But Not For a Long Time, Childhood Memories, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Forbidden, Forbidden Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, maybe some smut eventually?, slow burn Mal / Uma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-30 09:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20444870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassimere/pseuds/cassimere
Summary: It’s been two years since the barrier was taken down. Everyone uses the term ‘destroyed’, but Mal hates that phrase. It’s not destroyed. Fairy Godmother can put that barrier back up with one swish-and-flick of that wand if Ben gave the word.But, of course, with a decision like this, every single ‘good guy’ has been on edge. Constant edge for two years. None have gone nearly as Audrey-level-crazy, but there’s been a few protests and sour attitudes all across the board. Some people think this is still Mal’s big, evil plot to take over Auradon and that Maleficent is hiding somewhere in the mountains waiting to strike. Like that stunt at the coronation four years ago wasn’t enough to convince them. Others have their own speculations; Uma’s plotting with Ursula, Evie’s mother is poisoning apples at the market; there’s so many accusations that Mal is surprised by how creative the Kingdom’s imagination is.Ursula has launched an attack on the heart of Auradon, and Ben has decided that the barrier needs to be put back in place as the only logical answer. Mal seeks comfort with Uma, but finds that she might care for her more than she should.





	1. PROLOGUE: The Beginning

It’s been two years since the barrier was taken down. Everyone uses the term ‘destroyed’, but Mal hates that phrase. It’s not destroyed. Fairy Godmother can put that barrier back up with one swish-and-flick of that wand if Ben gave the word. 

The villains and their kids have actually been fitting in nicely. Ben, along with the Royal Court, built a beautiful village a few miles west of Auradon Prep - far enough that the kids still have to room at the academy, but close enough that they can visit with just a simple train ride. Seeing as Evie is still the Royal Advisor, she helped with a lot of the decorating and design. Evie’s 4 Hearts has converted to include interior decorating, not just jackets and hair pins.

But, of course, with a decision like this, every single ‘good guy’ has been on edge. Constant edge for two years. None have gone nearly as Audrey-level-crazy, but there’s been a few protests and sour attitudes all across the board. Some people think this is still Mal’s big, evil plot to take over Auradon and that Maleficent is hiding somewhere in the mountains waiting to strike. Like that stunt at the coronation four years ago wasn’t enough to convince them. Others have their own speculations; Uma’s plotting with Ursula, Evie’s mother is poisoning apples at the market; there’s so many accusations that Mal is surprised by how creative the Kingdom’s imagination is.

Everything’s going great. Right? Wrong. Ursula has been missing for a week. There’s been a sea watch, multiple meetings with Uma, and an absurd amount of guards at every sea port, lighthouse, and fishing hub. Mal is in yet another meeting with Ben, Beast, Belle, the White Rabbit, and a few other important members of the council, trying to figure out if this is actually a problem, when the head of the guard bursts through the door. It puts a particularly annoyed halt on Fairy Godmother’s speech, and the guard immediately turns to Mal and Ben. 

“You Majesties, I sincerely apologize for the interruption. We’ve found Ursula.. But..”

“But what?” Ben snaps, and it makes Belle and Fairy Godmother jump.

“.. but we can’t subdue her. There’s already been casualties. We need Mal to use Hades’ ember before she drowns all of Auradon.”

The attention in the room suddenly shifts from the soldier to Mal, who is not in any way garbed for battle. She stands, pulls the blue rock from where it lays on a chain around her neck, and her eyes seemed to glimmer that all-too-familiar green. 

“Let’s hunt a squid, then.”

In no time at all, Mal and a troop of guards have arrived at the beach connecting to Belle’s Harbor. It’s the closest to the center of Auradon, where the academy and the royal family live. Ursula had been on land long enough to at least grab a goddamn map, so this was no coincidence. This is purposeful, and full blown attack, and the beach was a mess. 

There were pirates everywhere. Some that Mal recognized as older members of Uma’s crew, and the occasional useless villain; Captain Hook, The Queen of Hearts (who was not at all happy that her dress was now soaking wet), but that’s all that Mal could identify before she’s suddenly preoccupied by trying to find her friends. Jay, Carlos, and Lonnie were part of the main city guard since graduation, so Mal is almost certain that they’re fighting somewhere amongst this chaos. Evie’s most likely here, too, but Mal knows that she can handle herself. She’s more concerned about where the hell Uma, Harry, and Gil are. 

Harry and Gil, check. They’re back to back and swinging their swords against pirates. That’s comforting. 

Mal is about to call out to Uma when she hears a quite desperate; “Mom! What are you doing!? This is my home!” from a familiar voice. That girl always seems to be just half a step ahead of her these days. 

Uma is on her knees at the shoreline, sword half-dug into the sand as she’s kneeling before her mother in all her purple-squid glory. Mal completely ignores the warning from her escort as she sprints down the beach to be at her friend’s side. Mal only spares Uma a quick glance before she holds up the blue stone. 

“Wait!”

Mal jumps a bit as Uma is grabbing at her skirt hem from the beach. “She’s my mom, Mal, please don’t hurt her!” Uma looks desperate, and it’s hard to tell the difference between what’s the mist of the sea water on her cheeks and what’s the tears, but Mal can sympathize. All she can do is recall the words that spoke to her own mother all those years ago -- what turned that big, scary dragon into nothing bigger than a lizard. 

“The strength of Evil is good as none..” 

Mal starts the incantation as she’s looking down at Uma, clipping the ember back on the chain around her neck. 

“When stands before..” She pauses. The last time she did this, there was only four. But now.. “.. seven hearts as one.” 

That green glow returns to Mal’s eyes as it has so many times before, and Ursula makes a very loud, very confused noise as suddenly she can’t look away. 

“The strength of Evil is good as none, when stands against seven hearts as one,” Mal repeats the incantation a second time, Uma trying her best to follow along through the occasional sob as she stands to hold Mal’s hand instead of her dress. The shell pendant at Uma’s neck is starting to glow, and Ursula is probably intensely regretting letting Uma keep it right now. 

The pair repeats the mantra a few times - who knows, Mal certainly isn’t keeping track - as Ursula suddenly lets out this intense scream. There’s a swirl of smoke, harboring all colors of purple, blue, and even yellow as that big, scary squid is suddenly reduced to nothing more than a shrimp. A teeny, tiny, purple shrimps that swims away in the water as soon as it plops in. The storm at the shore of Belle’s Harbor subsides, and the crew of Ursula’s pirates are being taken captive by the city guard. 

The pair at the shoreline stay still for a second before Mal finally turns to Uma to ask if she’s okay, but the purple-haired queen is quickly taken into the tightest hug she thinks she’s ever been given. Uma is crying, no-- Uma is sobbing, and can barely keep herself standing as she is just clutching onto Mal. 

That’s the last thing Mal remembers before she realizes she’s been thinking too much again. Evie’s hand is on her shoulder, and Mal has to blink a few times before she remembers where she is, and what she’s doing. Another meeting. 

“M? We lost you for a second, there. We can chat about all of.. That-” Evie gestures to the general area of Mal’s head. “-later, okay?”

Mal nods, and looks over to where Ben is tapping a nail against the dark wood of the table. He looks so mad, so annoyed, but he’s not looking at her. He’s instead looking up at Fairy Godmother, who is pensively standing in front of a chalkboard that reads ‘Villains to go back to the Isle.’ She finishes writing the last name as she brings the chalk to nervously roll between her fingers. “Is there anybody else that we’re suspicious of..?”

Before Mal can say anything, Ben’s tapping turns into a full fist on the tabletop. “All of them. We should just put all of them back and keep them there. Letting them out was a mistake.” 

“Ben..?”

The King turns to look at Mal with this fire, this.. anger that she can’t recognize as a man she’s supposed to be in love with. 

“We’re reinstating the Isle of the Lost.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's call that a prologue to what is hopefully a long, chaptered journey!
> 
> Thanks for reading this, I'm planning to build upon this in the best way possible. It's something to eat up my time, but also keep me happy! If you'd like to hear more about future plot ideas and participate in polls, please follow me on twitter at @cassimere_ !
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ♥♥♥♥♥


	2. ONE: Proposition

There’s a queer sort of silence that takes over the room. Fairy Godmother, along with most of the room, is alternating between looking at Ben and Mal. She’s not sure how long she zoned out for, but she knows she didn’t agree to this. This was extreme, wrong. 

“.. I’m sorry, what?” Mal finally cuts the silence in the room. She doesn’t sound sad, or disappointed, she sounds absolutely angry. “And who made that decision?”

“I did, Mal.” Ben presses his tongue to the back of his teeth and he and Mal stare at each other for a quiet moment. 

Mal tilts her head after a second. “I don’t recall being asked about that. I thought we were running this kingdom together, Ben. You need to talk to me before you just decide to throw all of our parents back in jail.”

The other occupants of the room are starting to shift their attention to their laps, and Fairy Godmother reaches to erase the heading on the chalkboard before she’s abruptly stopped by Ben’s raised hand. 

“Your parents, Mal, are terrorizing my kingdom. Ursula showed no signs of attacking until about a week ago; who knows who else is plotting? Making alliances?” Evie has excused herself now. She simply gets up and walks from the room. The thought of stopping her crosses Mal’s mind for a second before she thinks it’s better to let her go, and she settles back into her too-fancy chair with a slight glimmer of green in her eyes. 

“What about the kids?”

“The kids can stay. But they’re being watched-- closely-- and will have absolutely no contact with the Isle.” Ben states, and sits a bit prouder in his own chair. 

There’s another uncomfortable silence. For once, Mal can do nothing. Mal is powerless. Ben is the king, Ben’s word is law. She can object all she wants, but there’s no use. There’s things she needs to say, things she wants to say, but it’s useless. She stands instead, draws a breath to say something; anything. But she simply closes her mouth again and storms out of the board room with a loud slam on the heavy doors behind her. She thinks she hears the beginning of her name as they shut, but she doesn’t care. She needs to find someone, anyone.

Evie is gone; and probably with Doug. Mal loves Carlos and Jay, but they’re both in the hospital right now. They’ve got so much to worry about, what with their friends being hurt, that Mal can’t bother them with anything else. There’s Lonnie and Jane, but they’re both Auradon kids; they won’t understand. 

But Uma would.

So Mal sets off to find Uma. She’s usually by the harbor, but ever since everything with her mother, she’s been trying to hide from the general public. Sure, the kids at Auradon are all children of heroes and princesses, but they’re still very mean. Mal hasn’t heard too much personally, but Evie’s relayed the message that they haven’t been exactly kind. Uma can only really be in one place, and that’s the house she’s adopted in a small fishing town. 

\---

It doesn’t take Mal long to get to her destination; she’s been here often. Though, the few comments and things spat at her on the way is shocking. Her knuckles bang against Uma’s door and she’s immediately greeted with a; “Go away.”

“Uma, it’s me. It’s Mal.”

Silence. But then the tumblers on the lock are turned, and Uma is standing in the doorway. She has on a teal tube top and gray pirate pants; loose, baggy, but comfortable most of all. Her hair is tied back in the laziest single braid Mal has ever seen it in, and she can’t help but notice the bags under Uma’s eyes. “What is it, your highness?” The words are spoken with such venom, such animosity that Mal can swear they’re back on the Isle arm-wrestling for Ben’s safety. 

“I.. I don’t know who else to talk to.” Mal is trying very hard not to start crying. Not before the door is closed, at least. “Ben is.. Making decisions, and I’m..” Her hands come out to twitch a bit in front of her as she searches for the right words to say. “I’m scared, Uma.” 

Uma’s look of distaste quickly turns a bit more neutral as she steps back into the foyer and silently invited Mal in. The queen accepts, and takes a few steps inside before Uma shuts the door behind her. 

The interior of Uma’s home is exactly how you’d expect it to be. It’s themes around a brown, gray, and teal color scheme; bits of nautical paraphernalia littering walls and TV stands. It’s beautiful, intricate, and just so overwhelmingly Uma. 

Mal is ripped from her thoughts as Uma gently pats her shoulder. “Sit down. I’ll make you a drink.” She nods, and makes her way over to the couch. The house is small, so while Uma is in the kitchen, Mal can still hold a conversation. 

“Where’s Evie?”

Mal stirs a bit as she tries to pull her knees to her chest. She’s silently cursing herself to wearing this dress. It’s pretty, sure, but it’s not her. It’s a deep royal purple with a neckline up to her collarbones and a classic teacup skirt. Uma looks much more comfortable than she is right now. 

“I don’t know, honestly, but I don’t think she wants to see me right now.” Mal reaches up to take the glass of water Uma brings her. It has a bit too much ice and has a whole lime cut into thirds, but Mal isn’t going to say anything. “Ben made a scene in the board room.”

Uma has her own glass in her hands as she sits next to Mal, except she sits sideways on the cough to face Mal a bit more head-on. “A scene?”

“.. Ben, uh,” Mal starts, but has to pause to try and process her words before they come out like vomit. “Ben wants to reinstate the Isle. He wants to take all the villains, put them back, and close the barrier forever.”

Mal doesn’t dare look at Uma as she talks, but only after she finishes, and even then it takes her a second to turn her head. The pirate’s expression is hard to read, but she eventually shifts a bit and asks; “And the kids? Us?” 

“We stay. But we can’t go back, and we can’t have contact.” 

Uma’s eyebrows drop a bit more on her expression before she leans back against the arm of the couch. She doesn’t say anything as her eyes look down at her own hands. Mal lets out a small sigh as she turns her own body to face Uma head on. “I said no, Uma.”

Uma doesn’t look up as she nods. “I know. You almost broke your engagement to let us out. There’s no way you’d let him tunnel everyone back in without a fight.” She looks back up mid-sentence. “But does that mean it’s not happening?”

“I don’t know.” Mal shrugs as she raises an arm to rest her elbow against the back of the couch. Her cheek in her palm as she lets out another soft sigh. “I can object all I want, but he’s the King. He’s the good guy, the one they trust. All he has to do is name a time and it’s over.” 

The two girls have a short staring contest for all of thirty seconds. Neither one knows what to say, how to respond to the impending threat. “.. what happens if we go back, too?” Mal finally breaks the silence after their not-so-weird stare off. 

“And what, go back to living off of the Kingdom’s scraps?” Uma nearly laughs as she shifts again, this time bringing her legs to sit in a cross-legged fashion in front of Mal. “Getting excited when the ship comes into harbor with nothing but almost-rotten fruit and week old bread? Is that how you want to live, Mal?” 

The purple-haired queen shakes her head slowly. “But what else do we do? He isn’t going to listen to me. He’s made up his mind. The guards could come and round up all of our parents tonight and all we can do is watch!” Mal only realizes she’s begun to cry when Uma reaches up to wipe a tear from under her eyes. 

Sure, Mal’s mother is a lizard in a tank, but her father is very much bipedal. She’s had to live without him for sixteen years, and now she’s finally forged a relationship, something meaningful with the closest thing she’s ever going to get to a loving parent. 

“Hey, hey, hey,” The hand that Uma used to wipe Mal’s eyes has come to rest on her unoccupied cheek, “We’ll figure this out, okay? Where’s Mal, huh? That fierce leader? Never let anyone step on her?” That earns a gentle laugh from both girls, but it quickly fades as their left in another episode of silence. 

“They can’t take us if we leave.” 

Uma’s expression twists. “Huh?”

“They can’t take us if we leave.” Mal repeats, and her gaze shifts from the couch to Uma. “Auradon isn’t the only kingdom, Uma. There’s tons, we just all decided to be here. We can go anywhere we want.” 

Uma lets out a gentle laugh before it quickly fades and her playful expression turns confused. Oh. Mal is serious. “Okay, sure, that works in theory, but where are we going to do that isn’t aligned with Auradon?” 

“Olympus.” Mal states the name rather simply, like it’s an obvious answer. 

Uma shakes her head. “But they put Hades--”

“-- on the Isle out of convenience. He was a bother, but he’s changed! And the only child in Auradon is Hercules and Meg’s daughter. They’re gods, Uma. They aren’t going to just let Beast and Belle rule them.” Mal sits up straight now, taking Uma’s hand in both of her’s with a tight grip. “We just need to leave. I’ll get Ben to stall the Isle as much as possible to get ready for travel- get an exact date, and then we leave the night before.” 

Uma tries to pull back from Mal’s grasp, but her hold is too tight. 

“Please, Uma. I can’t do this without you.” 

There’s another small pause as the two girls stare at each other. But eventually Uma nods. “Okay; okay! Fine, just stop looking at me like tha-- oof!” Uma is cut off by Mal’s sudden hug, and there’s a splash of lime-flavored water on their shoulders as the pirate holds her glass above their heads. “But you have to talk to the others first. Evie, Carlos, Jay, Harry, everyone. And everyone’s boyfriends and girlfriends are sworn to secrecy. Magic, even, if it’s necessary. We don’t need spies.”

“Of course.” Mal’s smile is bright as she pulls away from the hug, and she seems to study Uma’s expression for a fraction of a second before nodding. “We’re not going back, Uma. I’m not letting you all live like that ever again.”

That infectious smile is on Uma’s expression now. 

“Let’s go to Olympus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is taking form! I'm so happy with how this is turning out!  
Don't worry, that cute flirting is coming. ♥


End file.
